Club Teaming Up With U.S. Cellular To Pitch In For Local Community

Members of the Tennessee Smokies front office will be teaming up with U.S. Cellular and other partners to help clean up and renovate two East Tennessee baseball fields on Saturday, March 28, including the Boys & Girls Club of Halls/Powell, and the Christenberry Ballfields. Volunteers from U.S. Cellular will be pitching in at both locations, working side-by-side with Smokies front office members on all tasks. In addition, U.S. Cellular will also be donating $1,000 dollars to each location for equipment upgrades.

“This is a very important project for us, and another way to truly make a difference in the East Tennessee community,” stated Smokies Team President Doug Kirchhofer. “We’re also very grateful to U.S. Cellular and our other partners for working together with us on this venture to ensure baseball is played safely and on a good field for years to come.”

“U.S. Cellular has long enjoyed its partnership with the Tennessee Smokies and the opportunity it gives us to connect with East Tennessee residents,” said Jack Brundige, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in Tennessee. “We are looking forward to rolling up our sleeves to help with the baseball field makeovers. Every young child should have the opportunity to play ball on a safe, well-maintained field.”

“Saturday is an important undertaking by all parties involved, and we’re very excited to be able to provide nice ballfields for kids and the community,” added Smokies General Manager Brian Cox. “Our hope is for this to become a yearly endeavor in which we continue to provide a place to play baseball and help the game flourish.”

Work to be done includes field clean-up and the creation of new dugouts, in addition to adding fencing at the Boys & Girls Club, as well as installing batting cages at Christenberry Ballfields, including new turf, placing padding behind home plate, and field clean-up among other tasks. The team will also be donating several items for use at those locations, including a home plate, bases, chalker, rakes and shovels.

This marks the second time the Smokies have teamed up with The Boys & Girls Club this month, after Smokies Stadium hosted a Pitch, Hit & Run Competition exclusively for club members on March 17 in association with the Boys & Girls Club of Tennessee Valley, and the Smoky Mountains. Additional partners assisting the Smokies with Saturday’s effort are Blalock Construction, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Jet’s Pizza.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Tennessee Smokies. Click here to view the original story.

RAM Announced As Smokies’ “Charity Of Choice” For 2014 Season

The Tennessee Smokies announced today the Remote Area Medical® (RAM®) as the team’s “charity of choice” for the 2014 season. Proceeds from jersey auctions and additional activities at Smokies games this year will benefit the non-profit organization financially and provide a platform for RAM® to make its mission better known in the community.

Remote Area Medicial® was founded in 1985 by Stan Brock, who developed the idea for the organization after a medical ordeal in South America while being isolated from urgent care. After returning, it was Brock’s mission to establish the non-profit in order to help bring medical aid to those living in the isolated and underserved communities in the U.S. and abroad.

“We could not be more supportive of Remote Area Medical® and Stan Brock’s cause,” said Smokies President Doug Kirchhofer. “With this partnership we are focusing our efforts to help them achieve their vision.”

Brock starred on the popular television show Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, with the program winning four Emmy Awards, and went on to create, direct and star in Stan Brock’s Expedition Danger for eight years. He has written three books on his experiences, scribed articles for Reader’s Digest and Outdoor Life, and featured in TIME Magazine.

“We are honored to team up with The Smokies to help restore hope and improve lives for underserved communities in our region,” said Brock. “The Smokies really care about their fans and want to take active steps to help children and their families in need of basic medical care.”

“Our partnership with the Smokies means more people can be helped who cannot afford healthcare and we thank them for their compassion for our community, state and region,” Brock continued. “We look forward to sharing life with the Smokies on this journey of a shared mission, and together we can make a real impact and footprint in our communities that will literally change the lives of thousands of people.”

According to the organization’s website, over 80,000 volunteers and healthcare professionals have helped deliver more than $75 million dollars of free quality medical services since RAM®’s founding in 1985.

Along with the focus on Remote Area Medical®, the Smokies will continue to be involved with other non-profit organizations and causes in the East Tennessee Community.

For more information on Remote Area Medical®, or to learn how to volunteer or donate to the organization, whose headquarters are located in Rockford, Tennessee, please visit them on the web at www.ramusa.org, or contact them by phone at (865) 579-1530.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Tennessee Smokies. Click here to view the original story.